The U.S. House of Representatives is in the process of passing H.R. 720, named the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA). Several years ago, the House passed a similar piece of legislation (H.R. 758); however, the Senate did not take any action on it. The new Act seeks to amend Rule 11 of the Federal…
A Seattle police officer, who punched a handcuffed woman in the face and left the city open to a lawsuit, has been fired. The officer, an 11-year veteran of the police department, was accused by the victim of assault, false arrest and violating her civil rights in the June 2014 incident. The…
It is easy to lose perspective of how common medical errors can be. Reading an article on a botched surgery or how a doctor’s mistake caused a birth injury make it seem like isolated cases. However, taken together hundreds of thousands of people may die every year due to medical errors. UK…
When parents find out their child is suffering from a condition that makes it difficult to breathe, they want to do all they can to give their child the best chance at a healthy life. When doctors recommend surgery, the parents are confident that their child will be in good hands and…
Earlier this month, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released new guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain in an effort to lessen widespread abuse of opioids. Opioids are a class of drugs that include a number of illicit drugs, as well as prescription pain relievers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, and…
A federal correctional employee is going to potentially be given another opportunity to recover damages from the U.S. Justice Department. Randall L. Spade is a correctional officer at the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary, which according to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is home to 1,200 “high security” inmates. A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the…
Michelle Kalinkina, a 23-year-old professional model, was participating in a haircutting and styling event at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City when she was injured by her hair stylist. Martino Cartier, a stylist and operator of Bersheart LLC, was allegedly cutting Kalinkina’s hair when he cut her neck with a pair…
Eye surgeries can be some of the most difficult operations for a patient to undergo. Eye surgeries in children can be especially frightening and nerve-wracking for parents. When the parents of a young child took their 14-month old baby in for surgery to remove a tumor on his eye, they thought it…
The rising popularity of a new toy known as a fidget spinner has children everywhere begging their parents to buy them one. Unlike the hoverboard and other toy trends, the devices don’t require kids to move strenuously and aren’t costly. The small toys range in price from $3 to $15 and spin…
An accidental discovery by medical researchers has identified a common practice by gastroenterologists that could leave patients open to infections from contaminated medical scopes. The research team was studying cleaning techniques for colonoscopes and gastroscopes when they noticed a cloudy, white, viscous fluid inside several scopes that had been disinfected and prepared…
If you slip and fall on an icy sidewalk this winter, and you are injured as a result of the fall, you may be entitled to compensation. Specifically, you may be able to recover the costs of your medical care, your time away from work, pain and suffering, prescriptions, and other costs…
Nearly three years have passed since officials conducted a “raid” on a Florida cosmetic surgery office, where patients unknowingly underwent procedures by unlicensed personnel. As to be expected, these procedures were often horribly “botched,” with one woman receiving a breast enlargement when she sought a reduction and another forced to have her…
Plaintiff Latosha Evans had undergone a heart transplant. Several years later, it was determined that a stent within the heart was damaged. During a surgical stent replacement procedure, it was determined that the facility did not have the stent that was needed on-hand. Her surgery was prolonged to allow for time to…
This week in Pennsylvania, a jury awarded the family of deceased 77 year old Sandra Trolio $868,000, which included $750,000 for pain and suffering. The family brought the wrongful death claim against the Westmoreland county housing authority which owned the building in which Sandra died from monoxide poisoning in February of 2013….
This week the Supreme Court ruled that the Ninth Circuit failed to fully consider the question of the “concreteness” of an injury complained of by a plaintiff in a cause of action for invasion of privacy. Plaintiff Thomas Robbins filed a case against the “people search engine” website Spokeo, Inc. after discovering…
Even with cleaning procedures and sterilization protocols, hospitals can be a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Hospital-acquired infections are common for patients, especially those with compromised immune systems. It should not come as a surprise that a medical board would look down upon a surgical procedure performed on a back porch. …
Tyrod Taylor was about to start off the season as the new Los Angeles Chargers’ quarterback. Before the second game of the season, a team doctor was going to administer painkillers to Taylor’s chest for a cracked ribs injury. However, instead of inserting the needle into the tissue around the rib, the…
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is supposed to provide medical care for veterans who have served in the military. This includes injuries that happened as a result of military services as well as other health conditions that affect veterans after service. This is supposed to be one of the benefits of…
For serious health conditions, time is of the essence. Delaying treatment by a few months, a few days, or even a few minutes can increase the risk of harm or death. A doctor who unnecessarily delays treatment can be negligent in causing injury to a patient who needs timely care. Delayed treatment…
When a patient is receiving care in a hospital or clinical setting, the patient may have dozens of doctors, nurses, and various specialists coming in and out. It can be confusing for patients to know what each person is doing and who is in charge. When something goes wrong and causes a…
In 2009, Kelly Currie learned from her doctor that she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Doctor Kris Ghosh recommended a complete hysterectomy, which involves removal of the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Currie took her doctor’s advice and underwent the operation. However, it did not take long for her to realize…
As the days get shorter and nights get colder, we will soon be seeing freezing weather along the East Coast. The transition periods from sunny days to freezing nights can be some of the most dangerous for pedestrians as snow melts to water during the day and re-freezes to slick ice overnight….
When Shantiah and Joel Norfleet went to the Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, they did not expect a medical error would leave their child suffering severe cerebral palsy. When Shantiah went into labor, the baby was not getting enough oxygen. Oxygen deprivation can cause severe brain injury if it is not corrected. If…
Who knows what Halloween will look like this year? How many kids will venture out going door-to-door for tricks and treats? Will families stay home or find ways to adapt for safe trick-or-treating? One father and daughter even created a candy chute to maintain distance while still handing out candy. For anyone…
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides medical care for veterans who have served in the U.S. military. After discharge or retirement from the military, the VA continues to provide care for injuries that happened during military services and other health conditions unrelated to service. Unfortunately, military veterans may face similar problems…
Football players, from the time they play in high school, through college, and onto the National Football League (NFL), rely on the team to evaluate and treat their injuries. In the NFL, team doctors check on player injuries during the game and provide treatment to keep the player healthy. Unfortunately, many NFL…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the central agency governing commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), such as large tractor-trailers. They recently announced a new demonstration program, or “pilot” project, that involves how commercial truck crashes are classified. The initiative’s purpose is to ultimately allow the agency to make better decisions about crash prevention. …
